Report: Sardinha on the playoff roster

Once a highly-touted Yankee prospect, Bronson Sardinha has seen his stock fall over recent years. An influx of better prospects and some poor numbers by Sardinha at higher levels contributed to this fall.

But this year, the Yanks sent Sardinha back to AA for a few games, and he excelled. He hit .429/.484/.732 and earned himself a September call-up. Now, he’s joining the big league team in October, according to The Honolulu Advertiser.

Because Andy Phillips went down with an injury, the Yanks have the option to replace him on the postseason with someone on their 40-man. Sardinha wins that honor. He will be, in effect, the 25th man off the bench in the playoffs. The Yanks will go with a bench of Shelley Duncan (more on him later), Jose Molina, Wilson Betemit, some mix of Jason Giambi and Doug Mientkiewicz and now Bronson Sardinha.

It will be interesting to see how, if at all, Sardinha is used in games. I could see him coming in as a late-inning replacement, and with Matsui’s knees barking a bit, Sardinha becomes outfield insurance as well. In 11 plate appearances this month in the Bronx, he was 3 for 9 with 2 walks and 6 runs scored. All in all, having him on the roster isn’t a bad move.